in your arms, i'm home
by never meant to be so cold
Summary: Clint Barton comes home from a mission all bandaged up to find his wife and child sleeping on his bed. / Pure fluff.


He cranks the keys to the left, entering his apartment. He enters the living room slowly and takes of his uniform to reveal his bandaged torso. His latest mission in South America had gotten the last of him and he was so banged up, he couldn't even walk right. He took a shower and felt his muscles relax. He bandaged his torso again and entered his bedroom. He found his wife sleeping, she was bandaged as well, with scratches and claw marks on her arms, but yet she seemed so relaxed. A small little thing moved beside her, it was their daughter.

The only reason that Natasha had managed to sleep was because she had the small form of her daughter in the bed next to her. It wasn't Clint, but having the young baby next to her, curled against her chest; it made her feel less alone. Yet the sounds of the apartment door had stirred her from her light sleep, the noise of the shower wakening her up. When Clint entered the bedroom, she opened her eyes, sitting up, careful not to wake her sleeping daughter. "Clint..." She spoke his name quietly, reaching out for her husband instinctively.

"Nat," He sighs softly, almost in relief to see her so at peace. He sits beside her and gives her a light peck on her cheek. "So, was little Merida any trouble to Stark while we we're away?" Clint grins because he knows the answer. Tony probably got so annoyed with the baby that Pepper herself had taken her from him to nurse her. Clint laughs softly, remembering the time Merida destroyed Stark's latest invention by just "playing" with the untangled cords.

There was still the ache in her body, the healing wounds and bruises from her last mission, but just having Clint there again, she felt at completely settled. She worried when he was gone. Afraid that Merida would lose her father, scared that she would lose her husband, then when she left, she feared she would never see them again.

"She was as good as gold, for me at least," Natasha laughed softly, nestling closer to him when he sat on the bed. "She may have broken one or two of Stark's toys," Grinning, she brought her hand up to cup the curve of Clint's jaw, stroking her thumb along his skin. "How'd the mission go?"

His eyes look to the left of the room, sighing, he returns his gaze to hers. "It could have been better," He puts his two hands between her small face and she feels so soft and warm. "Gutierrez got away and the mob is very aggressive when their boss isn't around." He says, signaling with his eyes the torment in his body. "But we did manage to find the kids who we're kidnapped, so it makes it worthwhile."

It was never a good sign when Clint came home as beat up as he was. Then again, it was a sight she was used too. They'd both seen each other at their worst during their years as partners. It came with the job. As his rough hands framed her face, Natasha let her eyes fall shut momentarily, breathing a soft sigh. "At least you found the kids," She murmured, tracing her fingers along his muscled arms. "Lie down. I'll get you some painkillers. You need to rest."

"Already took 'em." He smiles softly, nudging his body next to hers. "Stay with me, please." She didn't reply, just adjusted herself to him. They lay in an arched form, Clint in shaped with Natasha's body. He rested his head on her arm so they could both take a look at their daughter. She was small, with red curls and a chubby face; she looked like a small cherub. He takes a curl and tucks it behind one of her small ears. She was the most beautiful thing in the world, well, except his wife.

"Of course," There was no hint of hesitation to Natasha's voice as she lay down next to her husband, nestling herself back against him, allowing her body to curl in against his as close as she could possibly get. Bringing her hand up, the black widow carefully brushed her fingers along the back of Merida's small hand, watching as her daughter continued to sleep peacefully. "She missed you," She murmured quietly, her eyes remaining fixed on their daughter. "I missed you too."

He smiles and kisses her back. "I missed you both too," He whispers against her skin and he feels her getting goose bumps. "You two were my one motivation to come back home," He passes his fingers on top of her arm lazily. Hawkeye was a brave agent, just taking orders and executing them, but he as Clint Barton now. He was a kind father, a loving husband and everything he ever wanted but didn't have as a family. He vowed to always return home, never leaving Merida without a father, just like he was.

Natasha had never been the type to openly speak of her emotions and feelings; she'd been trained to see them as a weakness that left her vulnerable. Yet she had learned a lot of things over the years. Becoming a wife and mother had changed her in more ways than she could list. So just being able to say that she had missed him had taken time to accomplish. "I love you," She murmured softly, letting her eyes fall shut, keeping her hand resting against Merida, feeling secure in having her husband's arms around her and her daughter's soft heartbeat drumming beneath her hand.

Those three words always meant so much to him. He knew who the Black Widow was, she was a tough woman, fighting like a hurricane and fierce like a lion. Trained in the most hard and harsh of ways, she didn't let those words slip easily. But here they were, lying as husband and wife with their daughter; as a family. What more could he ask for? "_Ya tebya Lyublyu_" He whispered in a rusty Russian he'd been trying to learn from her. _I love you_, it meant.

Hearing those words in her foreign tongue brought a smile to Natasha's lips, turning her head to the side as her eyes opened. "You've been practicing," She brought her hand up to trace her fingers along the side of Clint's face, lightly nuzzling the side of his face. "Ne magU zhIt' bes tebyA," _I can't live without you_, She whispered into his ear, placing a soft, tender kiss to his lips.

A small movement and sigh made both of them blink. Merida was waking up and she rubbed her blue eyes tiredly. "Mama? Papa?" She said, as she slowly woke up, her smile got wider and wider. "Mama! Papa!" She continued saying. Those were the only words she knew and really the only that mattered.

"Hello there, sweetie." Clint laughed as she wobbled towards him, she fell towards his chest. "Be careful, you don't wanna be bandaged like your papa, right?" She laughed and Clint gave her a light kiss on her forehead.

It always warmed her heart to see her husband and daughter together. "Be careful, angel. You don't want to get Papa too hurt, do you?" Natasha smiled.

Nothing was ever as beautiful as her family.


End file.
